Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Side and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Side: $1,153 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Side
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Side Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Side

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,153

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Side and in Buenos Aires

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Side and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,153 in Side versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires.

Side $1,153
Buenos Aires $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,793 in Side versus $2,680 in Buenos Aires.

Side $1,793
Buenos Aires $2,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,432 in Side versus $3,714 in Buenos Aires.

Side $2,432
Buenos Aires $3,714

Living in Side costs roughly 30% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Side is 15% below, Buenos Aires is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.25 ₺507

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

-42.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ₺1,502

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

-53.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 ₺488

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

-24.85%

Cappuccino

$3.63 ₺179

$3.86 ARS 5,863

-5.96%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₺109

$2.06 ARS 3,133

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₺19.35

$1.68 ARS 2,542

-76.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ₺203

$4.10 ARS 6,218

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 ₺293

$4.73 ARS 7,181

25.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 ₺52.2

$1.51 ARS 2,285

-30.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₺47.29

$2.60 ARS 3,950

-63.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 ₺130

$1.57 ARS 2,380

66.88%

Eggs

$2.22 ₺110

$2.73 ARS 4,144

-18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₺661

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

23.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 ₺299

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

-39.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.37 ₺1,305

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

99.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₺76.1

$2.80 ARS 4,255

-45.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 ₺118

$2.09 ARS 3,170

14.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ₺71.4

$1.45 ARS 2,194

-0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ₺60.8

$2.00 ARS 3,040

-38.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ₺38.78

$1.20 ARS 1,826

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ₺36.99

$1.20 ARS 1,821

-37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 ₺89.7

$1.69 ARS 2,569

7.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₺37.73

$1.79 ARS 2,711

-57.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₺138

$4.00 ARS 6,074

-30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 ₺691

$5.53 ARS 8,388

152.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₺87.1

$2.12 ARS 3,219

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₺155

$2.78 ARS 4,212

12.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺31.41

$0.69 ARS 1,049

-8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ₺61.0

$1.63 ARS 2,471

-24.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ₺51.1

$0.97 ARS 1,478

6.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 ₺341

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

-12.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ₺75.9

$1.42 ARS 2,156

7.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

79.88%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.0K ₺1.9M

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

18.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$76.1 ₺3,765

$199 ARS 302.7K

-61.87%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.50 ₺520

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

-55.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.39 ₺1,158

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

-25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 ₺2,826

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

14.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 ₺393

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

-26.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$499 ₺24.7K

$462 ARS 701.7K

7.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,527 ₺471.7K

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

8.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.49 ₺2,203

$120 ARS 181.6K

-62.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 ₺2,926

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

-37.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 ₺7,612

$116 ARS 176.4K

32.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₺5,967

$137 ARS 208.6K

-12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₺23.6K

$750 ARS 1.1M

-36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₺15.2K

$514 ARS 780.5K

-40.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ₺37.8K

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

-51.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 ₺27.8K

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

-52.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,548 ₺76.7K

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

-41.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$913 ₺45.2K

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

-51.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

38.25

57.25

-33.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Side: October 20, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Side

$308 26.7%

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3% 67.2% $207

Groceries & Markets

Side

$286 24.8%

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3% 0.5% $1.3

Eating Out

Side

$198 17.2%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6% 38.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Side

$170 14.7%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8% 23.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Side

$110 9.5%

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5% 131% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Side

$73 6.3%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 2.1% $1.5

Getting Around

Side

$8.9 * 0.8%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3% 316% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in Side and $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Side vs $65.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $285, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Side

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

18:24 6:24 PM

6 h behind Side

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,500

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Side Buenos Aires 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Side
Buenos Aires

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Side vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Side and Buenos Aires differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,153 vs $1,646 including rent). Side is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,730 in Side and $2,468 in Buenos Aires to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $478 in Side versus $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $499 in Side versus $462 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Side – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $65.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,153 in Side versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Side but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Side the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Side and Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Side gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.